


I see reddish-a prequel of sorts

by Daydreamsandmusings



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, F/M, First Meetings, colleague to friends to almost lovers to semi enemies to who-knows-what
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 02:13:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20145883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydreamsandmusings/pseuds/Daydreamsandmusings
Summary: Prequel to "I see red"Arya has agreed to spend a summer helping in a camp. She hopes to have an uneventful holiday, until she meets Gendry.





	I see reddish-a prequel of sorts

**Author's Note:**

> What ever happened between Gendry and Arya before they found each other again at that pub?

_A few summers ago_...  
  
Arya had always thought that the wilderness was somewhere in which she could get lost and find herself at the same time. Hiking, running and even kayaking were things she enjoyed doing the most in her free time. Her mother was a bit worried about her precious younger daughter getting hurt, but at the same time she was content with her hobbies, because it meant that Catelyn had a way to keep track of her rebellious daughter’s holidays.  
  
Catelyn Stark’s favorite thing to do was to showcase to the world what a wonderful family she had, but being the mother of 7 siblings (some biological, some not) had given her enough headaches and a vision. She had to help other families navigate through their kids puberty and early teenage years; this lead to the creation of the 'Riverrun Summer Camp for Pre &Teens'.  
  
“I guess the name could've been more imaginative” Arya whispered as the camp came into view. She was walking on the left side of the road, were a few buses moved at snail speed. To her left, a wide, turbulent river ran very noisily. She had to admit-only to herself and in her head-wouldn’t want Catelyn to know- that this place looked promising.

This was Arya’s first time as a counselor. It had been Catelyn’s idea to make her spend her summer here, after she had decided that studying at Braavos University (after two gap years in which she’d travelled across Westeros) was her destiny. They had quarreled a few times, and- by means of threats involving her beloved husky’s living space- she had surrendered and accepted helping around in her mother’s organization. She liked helping people, but hated the bureaucracy behind it, so Catelyn decided to ‘be fair for once’, and let Arya change her surroundings.  
  
This camp was to be her home for the next months. It was a hot summer, winter had been gone for a while, it seemed for even longer in the south. She had been prepared for it, though. Her long hair had been cut into a short bob, her camping bag filled with shorts and plain t-shirts. She even had packed a spaghetti strapped dress due to her sister Sansa’s insistence (she had claimed that Arya would need it for the farewell party. Arya doubted she would ever wear it).  
  
  
With the camp’s entrance at her back, she followed the stoney road down to where all the kids and adults were reuniting. She noticed that this newer generations of pre teens and teenagers looked significantly better than hers had looked. ‘They don’t look like bloated, tiny humans.’ She hoped the improvement wasn’t only in aesthetics, but also in their behavior. She had less faith in the latter.  
  
Arya found a familiar face, that of her aunt Lyanna. She was her favorite aunt, and definitely the one she resembled the most both physically and spiritually.  
  
“Little wolf! You came! I couldn’t believe it when your mom agreed to send you here!” Her aunt said while grabbing a hold on Arya’s backpack.  
  
“Yes, well, she surprised us all. Even Dad thinks there is more than kindness hiding behind her decision.” She smiled, and lifting her shoulders, she added: “Might as well accept her proposal. It means I don’t have to fill more paperwork, and get to be ‘one with nature’.”  
  
At that, Lyanna snorted and laughed, “One with nature and puberty. Can’t wait for you to be relieved to go outside not because you want it, but because of the boys’ deodorant! We’ll see how glad you are to be here in a few weeks, nay, days!”  
  
She kept talking while escorting her to what used to be the old Tully Manor that had been boughed by Arya’s grandfather when Eddard, her dad, was a baby. It was gigantic, beautiful, and seemed to have as many secrets as rooms.  
  
“Let me show you the house’s right wing”, her aunt continued, “I think you’ll find your room very agreeable."  
  
As they reached the rooms Lyanna decided to tell Arya about her collegues:

"There are only four other counselors helping this summer: Hot Pie, who you will want to be nice to, since he is a great cook. He sometimes mistakes the tennis racket with the badminton one, but never confuses the salt from the sugar. He teaches some classes about resourceful and mindful cooking. Very interesting. There’s also Lommie. He is in charge of the water activities, as well as the younger kids, helped by Hot Pie. They are together all the time, and share one of the rooms across from yours.”  
  
Lyanna kept speaking while turning around a corner, “And then there’s Gendry. He is the son of Robert, your dad’s best friend?” (Arya thought that her aunt seemed to willfully forget that she had dated Robert when they were younger and had been the centre of many gossip magazines years before Arya was born).  
  
“Just wait till you see him! He is the complete oposite of his father. Having said that, he is the spitting image of hin uncle Renly, don’t know if you remember him. Anyway, Gendry’s room is right next to yours, so be ready to meet him very soon. His duties lie in the Arts, Crafts and Football departments. He is very responsible, quiet and bull-headed. I think you are going to love him.”  
  
  
  
By the time all the information was given, Arya’s bedroom door was in front of them.  
  
“Aunt Lya, you said four, but you only named three?”  
  
“Well, yes. I wanted to save a very special counselor for last. Meera is here.”  
  
Arya couldn’t hide the excitement. Meera was her best friend, her brother’s girlfriend (Bran had good taste, she thought), and the only girl who liked the bow and arrow more than herself.  
  
Lyanna continued:“She will help with some of the actual camping activities as well as hiking training. Her room is the only one that has a door that connects to any other. Yours. Both rooms used to be your dad’s and uncle Brandon’s.“  
  
She kissed her aunts cheek and went inside her room to put her things away.  
  
  
After organizing her clothes by usefulness, she lay in her bed reading some of the guides, rules and papers she needed to have studied before the next morning. Then, as she was drifting off into a small nap, she heard a deep voice cursing. She sat, ears very open, and heard him again.  
  
“Oh, for the seven! Stop it, please. No! Don’t you DARE!! Stay put!”  
  
In a matter of seconds she went from alarmed, to intrigued, to a final state of amusement. She placed her head on the wall behind her bed and listened to her neighbor’s monologue with more clarity.  
  
“You are not living things! How can you move-no no no noooo…UGH!”  
  
A loud crush made her jump, and curiosity got her best. She left her room and rushed to the one that was said to be of that Gendry guy. The door was open, and inside she could see a man knelling on the floor, picking pieces of what seemed to be-had been, she realized- a glass statue.  
  
“Who even thinks about bringing THAT to a camp?”  
  
He turned his head and looked from her feet to her head. His eyes-‘_very deep blue eyes, and beautiful,_’ she thought- were shadowed by his frown.  
He stood, hands still gripping the glass.  
  
“Yeah, well it was for a drawing project. I thought is was _brilliant_. Now I’ll have to change all my plans! Maybe I can teach them how to work with iron-no…” He suddenly dropped the volume of his voice a bit”…bad idea, they’d kill each other.”  
  
“Wow, very grim and conscious of you” She said.  
  
“Who are you, what are you doing in my room and why on earth, pray tell, am I explaining this to you?” Gendry inquired, looking very confused and tired.  
  
She bit a laugh and answered: “I’m Arya Stark, fellow counselor, first time offender. I’m in your room because you were being as loud as a caged dragon who hasn’t been fed, and because that wall,” she pointed at the one where his bed was, “is my wall as well. So, I can hear every little exclamation that might come from your mouth, and every movement you decide to do.”  
  
His face had turned pink-Arya noticed ‘_a very cute shade of pink_’- and seemed to be a bit uncomfortable, eyes as big as plates. It dawned on her what it might have sounded like, so she decided to hastely answer the last part of his question:“You are telling me, because I’m standing here and I demanded an explanation. Also because I have an incredibly magnetic aura, and you feel pulled by it.”  
  
He chuckled, all the exhausted energy leaving his body, and allowing him to be more willing to see the hilarity of the situation. “Yeah. I guess I was very loud…I’m sorry. It’s just that I have to really prove my worth while I’m here. My name is Gendry Wa-Baratheon. My father asked me to come here in exchange of something.”  
  
“So you brought the whole city museum’s miniature sculpture collection” she said with a smirk.  
  
“Absolutely. ‘_Make me look good, son. Take our family name even higher, kid. Show’em how it’s done!’_” He mockingly exclaimed. “That doesn’t really matter to me, honestly. I just thought that if I showed the kids what they could make with effort and patience, they would be more inclined to fall in love with the arts, and out of adolescent shenanigans.”  
  
“Yes, glass, clay, iron rods…way funner than pranks, fights and drugs. Well, I guess you can make a clay pot for _pot_” She replied, bigger smile playing in her lips by the end of the sentence.  
  
“Hey! I’m being honest here!” He looked amused yet annoyed, again. She wondered if that was his default state. (Amused, confused, annoyed, and very, _very handsome_.)  
  
“Sorry, I thought you were kidding. I can see that this is important to you. It’s just, not a very universal experience, that is all.” Arya’s apologize seem to clear the air, and he retorted:

“Where the arts fails, the sports aids.” He stated with a very proud look on his face-‘_I came up with that quote_’- he thought to himself. “I’m also the football team’s coach.”  
  
She nodded while she eyed him. He seemed to be fit, she wondered if the white t-shirt he was wearing was his ally, or if it hid more muscle underneath it.  
  
He looked at her after a few seconds of silence. She seemed to be judging him, staring at his chest. Surely she thought he didn’t belonged there. Or maybe she fancied him.  
  
He shook his head, trying to keep his insecurities at bay, and failed when he questioned her: “Which will be your activities this summer? Perhaps sharing with the kids how difficult your life as a Stark has been?” Gendry hadn’t forgotten who she had said she was. Her last name was very famous, as her family business.  
  
“Hey! Not polite!” She pointed her index at him with a raised eyebrow. ‘_Who did he think he was?!_’  
  
He knew he had said a stupid thing, so he tried to lighten the mood.  
  
“As you wish, my Lady,” Gendry bowed and then came back to a standing position, in his eyes a glint of mischief. ”I’ll be more conscious of my manners when addressing you in our future conversations."  
  
She liked that. She didn't like his words or what they implied, but welcomed the funny feeling in her stomach when he was a bit rude and he'd teased her. ‘_Interesting'_-she thought. ‘_future conversations, eh_?’ She was about to say something about not giving him permission to call her ‘my lady’, when a known voice interrupted her:  
  
“Do not call her ‘my lady’, Gendry... She hates it when you dare call her what she is.”  
  
Arya turned around and saw Meera resting her left cheek and right hand at the doorframe, hiding her body behind the wall.  
  
“Sneaking and interrupting conversations, Reed? How charming of you” She smiled and embraced with her best friend. She understood what Arya meant by not wanting to be called a Lady, or Miss, but always remarked that she WAS, in fact, a Lady. And rich, and had privileges.

_"_Yes. But don't change the subject. Did you tell him that you even lived in a castle, Arry?  
  
“A castle?!” Gendry added, pretending to be shocked. “Wow, and here I was thinking that only vampires lived in those.”  
  
Meera looked at him, and with a very serious voice, added: “No, not only vampires live in castles, werewolves do too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I really don't know where this is going, so bear with. Also, like Sansa and Jon, Westerosi geography is not my forte; if you happen to find a mistake in the locations, regions, or realms (anything, really) just slide a piece of paper my way, but be careful not to let the Septa see you. If she finds out, we'll fail geography and I wouldn't like to be Queen in the North; too much responsibility.
> 
> As always, English is not my first language. No beta-readers were hired.  
((I reread it many times, can't really tell if I made mistakes or am overthinking this. Both. Both is good.))


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